Let us know your views

Here at Modality Partnership we take great pride in our practices and always look at areas of improvement for our patients. To do this effectively we need to know what you think about the services you receive. Please tell us what we do best, where we don’t meet your expectations plus any ideas and suggestions you may have. By listening to you can we continue to build and improve upon the service we offer.

Who can make a complaint or raise a concern?

A complaint or concern can be raised by anyone who is affected by an action, omission or decision of the Practice. If you are raising a concern or complaint for someone else, we must consider if you are the right person to act on their behalf. We will normally need their consent for this.

Are complaints/concerns kept confidential?

Confidentiality is respected at all times when a complaint or concern has been raised. If a complaint requires investigation this will involve gathering evidence from appropriate sources such as:

• Interviewing anyone who has been named in the complaint
• Interviewing any witnesses, or potential witnesses
• Reviewing medical records
• Listening to call recordings

All evidence gathered relating to your complaint will be managed in line within data protection regulations. You, or the patient concerned, will not be discriminated against if you raise a concern and information is not kept within clinical records. Consent to share information will be required if your complaint also involves another organisation.

What is the time limit for making a complaint?

If you are unhappy about something, then it is always best to make your complaint as soon as possible and not more than 12 months after the incident or issue occurred. This time limit may sometimes be extended if there is a genuine reason why you could not make the complaint sooner.

How to make a complaint or raise a concern

We hope that we can sort out most problems easily and quickly. Often this will be at the time they arise and with the person concerned. Please tell them what is worrying you and they will do their best to resolve your concerns quickly and informally. However, if they can’t or you wish to make a formal complaint, please let us know as soon as possible. This will enable us to get a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding the complaint.

You can submit your complaint or concern online by visiting your Practice’s Location page on our website at www.modalitypartnership.nhs.uk . From there you can click on the link to the compliments and complaints form.

If you do not have access to the internet or prefer to write to us instead, you can complete a complaint/concern form (available from reception) or send a letter to your Practice, marked for the attention of the Practice Manager.

What will happen as a result of my formal complaint?

Your complaint will be managed by our Patient Experience Team. One of our Patient Experience Officers will be assigned to investigate your complaint. We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have it fully investigated within 8 weeks from the date it was received. If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish.

When we look into your complaint, we will investigate the circumstances. You will receive a written response of the findings of the investigation, along with an apology if this is appropriate. You will also receive an explanation if any lessons have been learned and/or any if changes will take place as a result of the findings of the investigation.

Complaining to other authorities

We hope that if you have a problem you will use this complaints procedure. However, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us, and your complaint is about care you have received at the practice, then you can raise this instead with:

NHS England
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT

Tel: 0300 311 22 33
Email: england.contactus@nhs.net

What if I’m not happy with your response to my complaint

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to take your complaint to the Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is independent of government and the NHS. The service is confidential and free.

If you have any questions about whether the Ombudsman will be able to help you, or about how to make a complaint, you can call their helpline on 0345 015 4033 visit their website at www.ombudsman.org.uk.

You can also write to the Ombudsman at:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Citygate
Mosley Street
Manchester M2 3HQ